Gate-locking device.



' R. J. DILL. GATE LOGHNG DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1908.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. DILL, OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA.

GATE-LOCKING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. DILL, citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Island, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Locking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is an improved locking device which is designed particularly for use in connection with wire gates or the like, which is arranged to exert a tension upon the gate in a peculiar manner so that such tension holds the gate securely in closed position, and which may be readily operated to release the gate when it is desired to open the same.

WVith this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe, and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate showing my improved locking device applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a detail view in section, illustrating the position of the parts when the gate is closed; and, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the gate released.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a gate of wire or the like which is hung at one end from the hinge post B of the fence, and is provided at its other or free end with a locking beam 0 arranged to be engaged with the latch post D of the fence, to hold the gate in closed position.

The latch post D is provided with two inwardly disposed vertically alining eyebolts 1, in which is ournaled a crank shaft 2, the upper end of which is perpendicularly disposed to form an operating handle 3.

The latch beam C carries two vertically spaced outwardly disposed hooks a which Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

Serial No. 127,414.

are designed to be engaged with the crank portion of the shaft, the lower hook being preferably supported upon a collar 5 formed at the lower extremity of the crank, as shown. After the hooks are engaged with the crank shaft, the latter is turned by means of the operating handle 3, so that the crank portion is carried away from the looking beam C which thus exerts a tension upon the wires of the gate to stretch the same, the turning being continued until the crank shaft is moved past a center, in which position the operating handle 3 abuts against a stop 6 that, in the present instance, is constituted by a shoulder formed by cutting away the upper end of the latch post B. When the shaft has been moved past a center, the stretched wires of the gate obviously exert a tension upon the shaft to cause it to continue its motion in such direction, but since the movement of the shaft is limited by the stop (3, the tension exerted by the shaft serves to hold the operating handle 3 against the stop, whereby to retain the hooks in engagement with the crank shaft and hold the gate securely in closed position. By reversing the above operation, it will be seen that the gate may be readily released to be permitted to be quickly opened when desired. It will be noted that by this arrangement, the tension exerted upon the gate serves to effectually prevent any sagging of the latter, and effects a slight movement of the hinge post and the latch post toward each other, which thus pulls the wires of the fence on each side of the gate to keep the wires taut.

From the above description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have provided a simple, durable and eflicient construction of gate locking device which is positive in action, which may be readily and conveniently operated, and which consists of comparatively few parts that may be easily and. cheaply manufactured and readily assembled.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

The combination with a gate and a latch post, the latter being provided at its upper end with a stop, of vertically spaced hooks secured to and projecting from the free end of the gate, a vertical crank shaft carried by the latch post and arranged for engagement with the hooks to exert a tension upon the gate, and an operating handle formed by bending the upper end of the crank shaft at right angles, and arral'lged to be swung in one direction against the stop, and to be held by the tension of the gate against return in the opposite direction, the crank being formed with a collar adapted to support one of the hooks, as and for the purpose specified. 10' In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' ROBERT J. DILL. [L.s.] Witnesses SAMUEL C. HUsroN, J AMES E. DILL. 

